Consultancy Title: Prevention, response and reintegration support for children associated with armed forces and groups in the MENA region.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

LOCATION/DURATION:

Duration: Full time consultancy 70 working days over a period of 7 months

Location: Home-based, preferably in the MENA region

Field Missions/Travel: If circumstances allow one in-country mission to a UNICEF office in the MENA region, complemented by remote capacity building and country office support

 

Estimated Start Date: 1 March 2021

Estimated end Date: 30 September 2021

 

 

BACKGROUND:

UNICEF is mandated to respond to the needs of all children, including children in emergency situations, and to assist government counterparts in implementing a wide range of child protection^[1] programmes. UNICEF’s Child Protection objectives are to actively prevent children from being harmed and to support programmes to respond to instances where children are at risk of or have been subjected to violence, exploitation or abuse.^[2] As such UNICEF strongly advocates for the rights of children affected by armed conflict, including providing appropriate protection and assistance.

 

In the past six years more than 10,000 children were recruited and used by various parties in MENA. This includes children recruited and used in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Today, children continue to both join and exit armed forces and armed groups in the MENA region. For those children who leave armed actors they face massive legal, social and political challenges to reintegrate back into their communities and are therefore in need of reintegration support to ensure a safe and sustainable return to civilian life.

 

OBJECTIVE:

The first objective of this consultancy is to support UNICEF Country Offices in the MENA region to design, implement and strengthen prevention and response programmes that can be linked with community-based reintegration activities for children associated with armed forces and armed groups.

 

The second objective of this consultancy is to increase the capacity and the knowledge of CAAFAG prevent, response and reintegration activities in the MENA region.

 

The two objectives will contribute to improved CAAFAG programming and increased capacity within different technical workstreams relating to prevent, response and reintegration activities such as child protection, education, livelihoods, social behavioural change, adolescent and youth, etc.

 

Under these two objectives the consultant will support UNICEF with the following tasks:

1. Remote and, if possible, in-country support to UNICEF Country Offices on CAAFAG prevention, response and reintegration programmes in the MENA region;
2. Create a package of CAAFAG programmatic prevention and response tools adapted to the MENA region, including suggestions on cross-sectorial activities, community-based programme approaches, best practices from the global level and on-the ground MENA experiences;
3. Organize specialized capacity building initiatives for cross-sectoral partners at the senior/decision-making level on multisectoral CAAFAG prevention, response and reintegration programming in the MENA region, in the form of a workshop to promote synergies between sectors and agencies/organisations;
4. Develop and deliver on one occasion a MENA-specific training on CAAFAG programming, to cross-sectoral UNICEF staff and partners (practitioners);
5. Explore academic and programmatic partnerships in the MENA region within the framework of CAAFAG programming.

 

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:

This assignment will require of the consultant to work in close collaboration with UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist on Children and Armed Conflict based in UNICEF’s MENA Regional Office in Amman, Jordan.

 

This consultancy will include the following tasks:

1. Remote and in-country support on reintegration programming within the MENA region

The consultant will provide timely and contextualized support to UNICEF Country Offices on integrating CAAFAG prevention, response and reintegration activities into existing programming or developing such programmes for children released or self-demobilized from armed forces and armed groups in the MENA region. This support will be both remote and, if possible, in-country which would require the consultant to travel to the MENA region. In view of the COVID-19 movement restrictions different modalities may be envisioned.

 

The consultant will also prepare a short analytical note capturing CAAFAG operation modalities and approaches in the MENA region. This document will be used with other MENA-specific CAAFAG resources to advocate for CAAFAG programming.

 

2. Create a package of programmatic prevention and response tools adapted to the MENA region

The consultant will conduct a desk review of current global and regional practices and develop a practical cross sectoral, community-based prevention, response and reintegration programme tool package to guide UNICEF Country Offices and partners in the MENA region to design and implement CAAFAG programmes. This task will require of the consultant to unpack current CAAFAG programming practices in the region as well as existing global and regional tools and adapting them to the MENA region. Inputs from UNICEF Country Offices will guide the process. The package will include programmatic tools that practitioners can use to design, implement, monitor and evaluate CAAFAG programming adapted to the MENA region. In addition, the package should also include key messages and communication strategies, built upon a Communication for Development (C4D) approach, taking into consideration social and behaviour change programming.

 

3. Organize specialized capacity building initiatives for cross-sectoral partners at the senior/decision-making level

The consultant will organize specialized capacity building initiatives cross-sectoral partners at the senior/decision-making level in the MENA region in the form of four workshops, divided per country or per group of countries. These workshops will aim to promote cross sectoral learning on CAAFAG programming and the importance of multisectoral prevention and response programming whilst mainstreaming CAAFAG protection and fostering synergies between sectors and agencies/organisations. These workshops will target relevant UN and NGO staff members relevant staff from international and national NGOs in the MENA region, and relevant humanitarian sectors. This task includes to prepare all the necessary material for the workshops: agenda, reading material, discussions topics, etc. The workshops will be held during the first half of 2021.

 

4. Develop and deliver a MENA-specific training on CAAFAG programming to cross-sectoral UNICEF staff and partners (practitioners)

The consultant will develop a training tailored to a MENA audience on cross-sectoral prevention, response and reintegration programming for CAAFAG. This training will target practitioners from various sectors (UNICEF and partners) who are/can be involved the design and implementation of CAFAAG activities. The training will be three days and include several modules such as children and armed conflict, community-based programming, cross-sectorial evidence-based programme design, monitoring, etc. The training will also introduce practitioners to the programmatic package developed under task two. In addition, the training will include a session concentrating on soft skills required to deliver CAAFAG programming in a professional manner such as decision making, networking and communication. The consultant will ensure that the training modules developed will be adapted to the MENA region.

 

The consultant will pilot this MENA-specific training on CAAFAG programming. This training will take place during the first half of 2021. The training will target cross sectoral UNICEF staff from relevant Country Offices in the MENA region as well as UNICEF partners.

 

5. Explore partnership in the MENA region within the framework of CAAFAG programmes

The consultant will explore partnerships in the MENA region relevant for CAAFAG programmes. The aim of such exercise is to identify experts and organizations with proven experience in CAAFAG programming. This exercise will include to map and reach out to actors beyond child protection acknowledging the multisectoral nature of CAAFAG programmes. The consultant will also engage with other actors such as UNDP, ILO, UNHCR, UNODC and IOM on best practices on return and reintegration programmes. In addition to external partnerships, the consultant will also explore how to build cross sectorial collaborations within UNICEF; especially with teams in education, adolescents and communication for development.

 

 

KEY DELIVERABLES:

#	Task	Deliverable	Days	Due Date
1	Remote and, if possible, in-country support delivered to UNICEF Country Offices on CAAFAG programming in the MENA region.	1.1: Continuous remote and in-country support to relevant UNICEF Country Offices in the MENA region. This may include support to develop CAAFAG strategy, programme development, advocacy, etc.	Days: 18 days	Due date: 30 September 2021
		1.2: If possible, one in-country support mission conducted to a Country Office in the MENA region (this support will be remote if not possible)	Days: 6 days	Due date: 30 September 2021
	Finalize a 3-5-page analytical note capturing CAAFAG operation modalities and approaches in the MENA region.	1.3: Analytical note capturing CAAFAG programming operational modalities and approaches in the MENA region	Days: 3 days	Due date: 15 August 2021
2	Conduct a desk review of current global and regional practices and develop a community-based prevention, response and reintegration programme package to guide UNICEF Country Offices and partners to design, implement, monitor and evaluate CAAFAG programming in the MENA.	2: A community-based prevention, response and reintegration programme package including tools, materials and best practice for CAAFAG programming in the MENA region	Days: 9 days	Due date: 13 May 2021
3	Prepare materials for a one-day workshop (remote) on cross sectoral CAAFAG programming for cross-sectoral partners at the senior/decision-making level from various humanitarian agencies and humanitarian sector leads in the region. This includes the preparation of all the necessary material for the workshop: agenda, reading material, discussions topics, etc.	3.1: Material for a one-day specialized workshop on CAAFAG programming for relevant UN agencies and relevant sectors	Days: 4 days	Due date: 13 May 2021
	Conduct 4 workshops (remote) for various countries to promote knowledge, understanding and contributions of other UN agencies, NGOs and humanitarian sectors to CAAFAG programming and envisage synergies. These workshops will take place in the first half of 2021.	3.2: The delivery of minimum four one-day specialized workshops on CAAFAG programming for UN, NGO and sector staff at senior/decision-making level conducted	Days: 11 days	Due date: 15 August 2021
4	Develop a MENA tailored training on CAAFAG activities in the MENA targeting cross-sectoral UNICEF staff and partners (practitioners) from relevant countries in the MENA region.	4.1: Material for a three-day MENA specific training on CAAFAG programming prepared, including at minimum five training modules (e.g. children and armed conflict, community-based programming, cross-sectorial evidence-based programme design and planning, monitoring and reporting, group exercise, soft skills required for CAAFAG programming)	Days: 9 days	Due date: 15 August 2021
	Deliver a MENA tailored three-day training on CAAFAG programming developed under this consultancy (task nr. 3.1) for UNICEF staff and partners. This training will take place in the first half of 2021.	4.2: The delivery of minimum one MENA tailored training on CAAFAG programming	Days: 8 days	Due date: 30 September 2021
5	Explore partnerships with other UN agencies, NGOs and research institutions in MENA region relevant to CAAFAG programming.	5: Partnerships in the region mapped including recommendations on engagement with each of the identified actors	Days: 3 days	Due date: 13 May 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS: Mission travel

 

For individual contractors and consultants, all travel arrangements to commence the assignment, including insurance and visas, will be managed and paid by the individual. Therefore, expected travel costs must be included as a budget item in the financial proposal. Should “mission travel” be required, UNICEF will manage and pay for travel via Travel Authorization. However, this will be subject to the following prerequisites: Medical Clearance, Security Clearance through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system, the Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Trainings, Travel Visa, and liability waiver. Trip prerequisites will be met at the expense of the consultant.

 

Travel cost shall be calculated based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC at http://icsc.un.org). The consultant must travel on UNICEF approved airlines.

 

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Education: Advanced degree in social sciences, law or related field.
2. Work experience: Minimum 7 years of child protection experience in humanitarian contexts
3. Technical knowledge:

• Solid experience in developing and implementing Child Protection in Emergencies projects;
• Solid expertise in CAAFAG programming and reintegration with a proven experience to develop and implement cross sectorial CAAFAG prevention and response programming in MENA region.

4. Language: English is mandatory, Arabic is an advantage.

 

Payment Schedule:

12.        PROPOSED PAYMENT – By Deliverable

 

UNICEF will only make payment based on the achievement of the five specific deliverables listed in the table above (under Key Deliverable). The payments will be done in three instalments. The payment schedule is as follow:

 

1. Payment #1: upon the achievement of deliverables 2, 3.1, and 5 due date 13 May 2021. This payment represents 16 of the consultancy’s 70 days (23%).
2. Payment #2: upon the achievement of deliverables 1.3, 3.2 and 4.1 due date 15 August 2021. This payment represents 23 of the consultancy’s 70 days (33%).
3. Payment #3: upon the achievement of deliverables 1.1. 1.2 and 4.2 due date 30 September 2021. This payment represents 31 of the consultancy’s 70 days (45%)

 

Also, note that UNICEF does not make advance payment except under certain conditions in line with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

 

EVALUATION PROCESS:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter/application
2. Financial quote as lump sum for professional fees, and lump sum for travel/administrative/subsistence, if applicable
3. CV
4. Proposed methodology/approach to managing the project
5. 3 Referees

 

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

 

“UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.”

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